Bones Exposed
by crankthatphan
Summary: After years of spending his time wallowing, Marshall Lee visits the love of his life. Gumball is successful, spending his time exactly how he wants to: in a lab and ruling a kingdom. Meeting up again drags them down memory's lane and leads them to a whole new path of love and destruction.
1. Prologue

**Bones Exposed - Prologue**

Marshall lifts his head up to the outstretched hand of his lover. He slowly lifts his own pale hand to take the pink-skinned one, wobbling as Bubba helps him stand. "It's okay," the gum-man whispers, pulling the vampire into a hug. "You're okay. I'll keep you safe."

"Bubba..," Marshall says, tears softly rolling down his cheeks. "Nothing can keep me safe.."

"Marshall, I can. I'll build a kingdom. It'll have a castle stronger than anything. Nothing can destroy it. You'll be there with me. We can live there together, forever, and nothing can hurt us." Gumball says with broken confidence.

Marshall Lee shakes his head and breaks his hug with his beloved beau. "You don't understand, Bubba.."

Gumball wipes Marshall's tears, his fingers running delicately over the vampire's cold skin. "Understand what..?"

"You can build a kingdom bigger than the whole damn planet, baby.. It may be able to not have any outside sources destruct it, and you may be able to protect me from harm, but... Bubba, you can't save me from myself."

The candy-man removes his hand from his boyfriend's face. "Marshy.. What do you mean by that?"

"I'm a monster, don't you get it?" Marshall yells, causing Gumball to recoil. "I'm just a freak who's capable of hurting anyone and everyone! Even you!"

"Marshy..."

"Bubba, I don't want to hurt you.. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do.. I-I think it'd be best if we.."

Tears well into Gumball's eyes. "Break up," he whispers, completing Marshall's sentence. "You want to break up with me.."

"It's the only way I can think of, Bubba.. I don't want to hurt you.."

Marshall Lee watches in woe as Gumball turns on his heel and walks away from him, leaving to pursue a better life.


	2. Chapter 1

**Bones Exposed - One**

Marshall Lee floats through the air, arriving at the largest kingdom in the Land of Aaa. He looks up to the top of the castle, squinting. He'd applied several layers of SPF 1,000,000 sunscreen and threw on a flannel and jeans to travel in the sunlight, also carrying an umbrella just in case. _'So this is the Candy Kingdom, eh?'_ he thinks, shaking his head and approaching the gates. _'There better be some food here.'_ He floats over the gates and onto the ground, looking around at the citizens, which are all some sort of sugary sweet. Cookies, gumdrops. _'Everyone here is candy.. Hence the name, I guess.. That's weird.'_ He heads towards the giant castle, only to be stopped by a blonde girl and a cat.

"HALT!" the cat says in a sassy voice. "Who are you?"

Marshall rolls his eyes. "I don't think that matters, Miss Prissy. I'm here for food."

"With an axe strapped to your back?" the girl says, putting her hands on her hips. "You're a really suspicious person."

Marshall gives an angry sigh. "Look, it's a bass. You know, a musical instrument? Can you just stop pestering me for stupid reasons and let me eat?"

The cat looks up at the blonde girl. "We need to take him to see Prince Gumball."

The blonde girl nods. "Alright, mister, we're taking you to Prince Gumball."

Marshall Lee waves his hand at the two females, ignoring their words. "Whatever."

The two girls take him into the castle, showing off multiple food sources for the hungry vampire. He licks his lips as they pass up multiple pink coloured-walls. Sure, pink wasn't exactly red, but it's a shade of red and that would have to do. Food is food, and when you're hungry, you're hungry.  
Marshall is taken into a laboratory where a person in pink is hunched over a bunch of test tubes with weird, bubbly liquids in them.

"Yo, PG, we got somethin' for ya." the girl says, causing the figure to turn around.

"What is it, Fionna?" he asks, turning to look. The man's eyes meet Marshall Lee's and he drops the tube onto the floor.

"Um, you alright, Gumball?" the cat asks, her eyes filling with concern.

"Yes, Cake, I'm fine." Gumball says, blinking into the real-world and looking at her. "You two can leave him here. I'll talk to him about.. whatever the problem is."

The girls exchange glances before cautiously walking away.

"Hello, Marshall." Gumball says, bending down to clean up the mess.

"You got food here, Bubba?" Marshall Lee asks with a tone of boredom, hovering over his ex-lover.

"Everything here is food," Gumball sighs, stand up and putting the shattered glass into a bin. "It's a candy kingdom."

Marshall laughs bitterly. "You know what I mean by food, Gum-wad."

"I guess I'll have my maid fetch something for you after she comes back with my tea."

"A maid?"

"Yes, Marshall, a maid. Someone who does things for you, like clean and make dinner. I rule a whole kingdom and have worked harder in a few years than you probably ever have, I deserve someone to do simple tasks for me."

The vampire rolls his eyes and goes over to a machine. He pokes it, and turns his head to see the gum-man glaring at him. "What?"

"Don't touch anything. You'll break something."

Marshall puts his hands up and floats back over to the prince, annoyingly putting his chin on the royalty's shoulder. He watches as Gumball mixes a pink liquid with a black one, the substance bubbling over, creating a foam and smoke. Gumball moves to write down his results, almost causing Marshall to fall. This process is repeated a few times before the door opens.

"Tea time, your highness." a female voice says.

"Peppermint Maid, just the lady I was needing." Gumball says, turning around to face her.

The candy puts a smile on her small face. "What is you need, sir?" She then notices the pale man next to her ruler. "Um, who is this, Prince Gumball?"

"She's got red on her, Gummy," Marshall purrs, nearing the peppermint and staring at her hungrily. "Why can't I just have her?"

"I will not allow you to drain the colour of any of my citizens, Marshall," Gumball sighs. "Please fetch him an apple or something, Peppermint Maid."

The candy nods and sets the platter on a table, glaring at the vampire staring her down on her way out.

"Your citizens look really damn tasty, Bubba." Marshall says, biting his lip as his stomach growls a little.

"Don't use such profanities in on my property, Marshall Lee."

Marshall crosses his arms blowing a piece of hair out of his eyes. "You've got that pole really far up your ass, don't you?""

Gumball slams a beaker onto the table and storms over to the vampire, angrily looking into his eyes. Marshall Lee parts his lips, causing the prince's face to soften slightly. They stare into each other's eyes, slowly and unconsciously nearing towards each other. Just as the boys were close enough to have their lips connect, the door opens, revealing Gumball's maid. She tosses the apple to the vampire and closes the door again, clearly avoiding any further conversation with the trouble-maker.

Marshall picks up the apple, sinking his fangs into it and sucking out the colour.

"Watching you do that is disgusting." Gumball says, shaking his head and grabbing the kettle of tea.

Marshall rolls his eyes and tosses the flattened fruit at the back of the prince's head, hitting him. Gumball turns around with a glare in his eye.

"You've gotten your food now, Marshall," Gumball says calmly, turning back to the china and pouring himself a cup of the tea. "You can leave now."

Marshall pouts. "And not have a proper conversation with my dear Bubba? Do you want me gone that badly?"

"You didn't mind leaving the first time."

Marshall takes in a breath, using all of his self control to not go ape-shit on the beautiful man in front of him. He turns himself invisible and flies out of the window.

When Gumball turns back around, no one is there. He's alone. Again.


	3. Chapter 2

**Bones Exposed - Two**

Marshall's hands run down the body of his lover, tracing his curves delicately. He looks up into Gumball's lust-filled eyes. "Are you sure you want this, Bubba?" he whispers, resting his hands on the gummy-man's hips.

"More than anything." Gumball whispers back, moving his hands into Marshall Lee's hair and slightly tilting his head to the side, giving the vampire access to his neck.

Marshall presses Gumball against the tree, leaning down and kissing his neck. Gumball moans, grabbing Marshall's hair and tugging at it. Marshall tightens his grip on his boyfriends hips and kisses his way up to Gumball's lips. Gumball wraps a leg around Marshall's, deepening their kiss and pulling Marshall Lee's body closer to his. He loved nothing more than the feel of the vampire's slightly-chapped lips against his, and he wanted so much more of it.  
Gumball gives a small squeak when Marshall Lee moves his hands under his shirt, causing their kiss to break as he lifts up the shirt, revealing Gumball's light-pink flesh. Marshall presses a soft kiss to Gumball's chest before removing his own t-shirt. Gumball's eyes wander around the vampire's pale body, sinking in his flat stomach and toned muscles.

* * *

Gumball wakes with a jolt, sitting upright and breathing heavily. It'd been hundreds of years since he's had a dream about Marshall Lee. Of course seeing him again would activate his hormones. It isn't fair; it took him so long to get over him and now he shows up again out of nowhere, bringing back the both good and bad memories of their past relationship. Gumball gets out of bed, looking down at his black shirt. Marshall gave him this a few years after they'd started dating as an anniversary gift. He wears it to bed every single night, along with his pink boxers, as pajamas. Sure it was Marshall's and he probably shouldn't be wearing it all the time, but it was really comfortable.  
Gumball goes over to the window and stares down at the quiet streets. His citizens are sleeping soundly while he's over here doing the exact opposite. He hasn't gotten sleep in ages, normally due to workload. Marshall Lee's reappearance has only made his insomnia worse. The prince goes to his closet and grabs out a pair of pink pajama pants, slipping them on before going to the door of his bedroom. He cautiously opens the door and peeks his head out, looking around for a sign of anyone else being awake. He slips out of the room, quietly closing the door and tip-toeing down to the kitchen.

He turns on the light, setting it to a dim setting and opens the refrigerator. Maybe a midnight snack will help him sleep a little. Anything will be fine, as long as it isn't red. He grabs out a small plastic box full of pancakes given to him by Breakfast Prince at the last meeting at the Breakfast Kingdom. He sets the container on the table, grabs the bottle of maple syrup from the cupboard and a fork from the cutlery drawer and heads back upstairs.

Gumball sits down on the floor, opening the box and pouring syrup over the cold flapjacks. He digs the fork into the cakes and puts the food into his mouth, looking around his moon-illuminated room. Usually he wouldn't feel so lonely in here, but tonight he feels like he's the last being on earth. _'All because of that man showing up again.'_ he sighs, shoveling more food into his mouth.

He's not as upset as he should be. He's actually hopeful. He'd been saving himself for Marshall Lee since they'd broken up. He'd focused on his studies and other priorities before love, not giving any female a chance to claim him as theirs. Not that females romantically and sexually interested him anyway. He did what he did to forget Marshall, mostly. It was also his passion, even though the workload could get pretty big at times.

Gumball sighs, setting the fork in the now empty container. He normally doesn't stress eat, but that seemed plausible for this situation. He pulls his knees to his chest, thinking about how life would be if Marshall Lee had never broken up with him. Would he be happier? Would he be doing the things he's doing today?

After moments, feeling like hours, of thinking, Gumball stands up. He looks to the container on the floor and decides to leave it there. If it were any other day, he'd pick it up himself, but he wasn't in the mood. He gets into his bed, bundling up under the covers, hoping to get a good night's rest.

Gumball closes his eyes, instantly relaxing. He lays there for a while, comfortable under the fuzzy pink blanket.

He slowly drifts off, and right before he falls asleep, he could've sworn he felt someone get under the covers with him.

* * *

"Good morning, Prince Gumball." Fionna says as she and Cake enter the kitchen.

Gumball sets down his coffee mug and smiles at the human girl. "Hello Fionna, Cake. How are you two doing?"

"Somebody slept well." Cake says, taking a croissant from Gumball's plate.

"I actually did. No interruptions. No waking up every thirty minutes. It was nice."

"You know what this means?" Fionna asks her cat.

"PARTYYY!" the girls cheer in unison, causing the prince to chuckle.

"I might consider that. I've got a lot of paperwork to do, though."

"Aw man."

"But," Gumball says looking over to his candy maid. "I guess we could make some room for a party later tonight."

The peppermint lady smiles at her ruler as the two other females in the room high five each other.

"This is gonna be so awesome!" Fionna says, excitement in her eyes.

The prince smiles at the bouncing girls and takes another sip of his coffee.

"Are you gonna invite Flame Prince?" Fionna asks the pink man, her eyes wide with hope and anticipation. "Please invite Flame Prince, PG, please please pleaseee."

"I will, I will." Prince Gumball laughs, laughing slightly harder when the human girl does a happy dance with her cat.

Everyone in the kingdom will be invited to this party. While it is pretty childish to celebrate getting a good night's rest with such a big shebang, it doesn't hurt to cut loose every once in awhile.


	4. Chapter 3

**Bones Exposed - Three**

Prince Gumball looks at himself in the mirror, making sure he'll look nice for tonight's event. Not that he's the one who'll be judging himself for his appearance; everyone just expects a prince to look absolutely perfect, so that's what he tries to do. Although, there's no such thing as perfection.  
Marshall Lee used to be perfect.. He still kind of is.., but he's changed an awful lot.  
Or maybe it's him who changed...

"Yo, Gumwad," a voice, _his_ voice, says from the windowsill, "What'cha lookin' all fancy for?"

"A party, Marshall Lee." Gumball sighs.

"A party? And you didn't invite me?"

"You aren't of any importance. There's no reason for you to be there."

Marshall Lee flinches. "That stung."

"Boo hoo." the pink man deadpans, turning around to face the vampire.

"You've changed a lot, Bubba.."

The prince bites his lip.

"I apologize, Marshall Lee," he says after a moment of thinking. "Although you really have no reason whatsoever to be there, you may come to this event as long as you do not cause any trouble."

"Puh-lease," Marshall says, floating over to the prince. "'Not cause trouble' is my middle name."

"You wish it was." Gumball mumbles.

* * *

Marshall Lee looks around at all of the candy people. Most of them are small and cute, others are big and not as cute as the others. They all look quite tasty, though, especially the ones with that gorgeous color..

No.  
He needs to compose himself. If he doesn't keep his cool, Bubba'll hate him even more than he already does.  
That's the last thing Marshall wants to happen.

He uses all of the self-control he can to not go haywire to compose himself, and he approaches the only familiar faces he sees; the human and the cat.  
Their dance moves are very.. wiggly? An elastic cat is pretty weird, but a human wiggling like that? What the heck is wrong with her bones? Does she not get enough calcium in her diet?  
Maybe she's just bad at dancing.

"Hey." Marshall says, monotonous. He really has no interest in talking to these ladies whatsoever. He just needs to communicate with something that isn't red and/or will get his mind off the Prince.

The girls slow their dancing and look at him cautiously.

"Hi." the human says.

"I know you probably don't like me, and I don't care if you do or don't, but you're the only people here I've seen before, so we're gonna hang out, alright?"

The girls exchange glances.

"Alright, but on one condition," the girl says. "You've gotta show off your moves."

Marshall cackles. "I can do that."

The two then become engaged in an intense dance battle. Their bodies sway to the music, and their hands wave in the air like they just don't care.  
The candy people form a circle around them, watching on in awe. They're obviously amazed by Marshall's great moves; he's _so_ much better than this blondie.

He isn't going to say that aloud though.  
Not yet at least.

"You're good," the human girl pants, growing tired from dancing so extremely. "Too good. I'm Fionna."

"Marshall Lee, Vampire King."

Fionna's cat friend's eyes widen. "V-vampire?" she asks.

Marshall smirks. "Yeah. King of 'em."

"D-does this mean you.. suck blood..?"

Marshall Lee cackles. "No, and I don't sparkle or need to invited into places; those are only things those old-school vamps do. I just like the colour red."

The cat then looks relieved, so Marshall decides to pick on her further.

"But.. if I were _really_ hungry, I might suck some poor sap's blood. Come to think of it, I haven't eaten in awhile."

She screeches and hides behind Fionna, who rolls her eyes.

"He's only picking on you, Cake. And if he _does_ try to suck you or anyone else's blood, I kick his butt."

"As if I'll ever be scared of you. You're just a little girl."

"I am _not_ just a little girl! I'm a hero! I've been kicking butts since I was a toddler!"

"Mm, you tell him, girl." Cake snaps her fingers.

* * *

Prince Gumball steps out of his room and approaches the party. He's rather excited; it's been quite some time since he's boogied.  
He stops once finding everyone and looks around. Everyone seems to be having a good time, which is phenomenal. Granted, everyone has a good time when the Prince throws a party, because they're always awesome.

His eyes stop on Marshall Lee. He's talking to Fionna. That's good, he's making friends.  
Wait a minute. Is he.. laughing?  
Marshall Lee doesn't laugh, not at anything other than people getting hurt.

Oh Glob.  
Marshall Lee is flirting.  
With _Fionna_.

Prince Gumball storms over to the refreshment table and fixes himself a cup of punch. He downs it in one big gulp and fixes himself another. He can't bear the sight of Marshall Lee being smitten over someone who isn't him, so tonight he's going all out. When the Prince says he's going to cut loose, he usually doesn't actually do so.

This time, though, he will.

After downing his fifth cup, Prince Gumball turns around and watches the candy people dance as if their lives depended on it.  
There's little more he likes seeing than his people with smiles on their faces.  
Admiring their candy hips sway to the music, he looks around the room to make sure everything is running smoothly. It was- until he saw Marshall Lee again.

This time, though, Marshall Lee wasn't flirting with Fionna; he was approaching Prince Gumball with a suggestive look on his face.

"I saw you inhale almost the entire punch bowl," Marshall deadpans once he's arrived in front of the prince. "Something's got your panties in a twist."

"You know very well that I do not wear female undergarments, Marshall Lee."

The vampire rolls his eyes. "It's an expression. But seriously, what's got you all tense and stuff?"

"That is none of your business."

"It's totally my business. Spill."

"It's nothing, Marshall Lee," the prince glares at the vampire. "And even if there _were_ something wrong, it would not be any of your business, mostly because I know you do not care."

Marshall Lee looks as if he'd been stabbed. "What makes you think I don't care?" he asks, his voice soft.

"Other than abandoning me? The fact that you'd have the _audacity_ to show up here, make my emotions all jumbled up, then flirt with someone else."

"Do... do you really think I would do something that low..?"

Prince Gumball groans and marches away, thus leaving Marshall Lee to be all alone.

Just like the vampire king had done to him many centuries ago.


	5. Chapter 4

**Bones Exposed - Four**

Marshall Lee loves the taste of bubblegum. There was almost nothing that gave him more pleasure than the sugary taste of it on his lips after kissing Bubba on any area of his skin. It's probably the sweetest-tasting thing he's ever had. The greatest sensation he's ever felt is grazing his lips across Prince Gumball's pink, candied flesh.

Well, that may be a lie.

As phenomenal as the taste of Bubba is, Marshall has felt many other sensations that are just as awesome.  
Okay, so _that_ was definitely the lie. Nothing is better than Bubba.

Nothing.

He knows he screwed up; he screwed up bad. But he only did it to protect him. Sometimes the most terrifying monsters are the ones inside you, and sometimes those monsters can come out and scare other people. If Marshall would have stayed, he could have completely destroyed Bubba. Not that leaving him didn't destroy him, of course. Marshall, though, would much rather hurt the prince's emotionally than physically, as much as he doesn't like to say that.

He remembers his very first night by himself. Marshall usually likes the cold, but he hated how freezing it felt to sleep alone. He could barely sleep, really. He thought he was going to go crazy, even though he'd only been away from Bubba for a few hours. He would talk to himself, and occasionally a plant or two, all because he didn't have anyone else. It was torture, but all worth Bubba's protection.

Exposure to Marshall's demons would have destroyed the gum-man. His heart is too fragile, and his skin is too delicate.

Watching the prince walk away from him centuries ago was the hardest thing he'd ever done. It was entirely Marshall's fault, yes, and he doesn't blame Gumball for getting upset. Although he wasn't the one who _physically_ left, he is indeed responsible for leaving Prince Gumball all by his lonesome, something neither of them were used to.

See, Marshall Lee and the prince were almost always at each other's sides back then. When they weren't, they were still with each other as boyfriends. They had an emotional connection. They could always feel when the other was in pain, sad, happy, or just in need of someone to talk to. Every time Marshall Lee felt a pang of sadness for no reason whatsoever, he'd immediately run to go find Gumball, and the prince did the same for him. That connection, Marshall likes to think, is still there. Sometimes he randomly feels stressed and nervous, even when he's simply relaxing by the lake. It definitely isn't as strong as before, but it's still there. Why?, he doesn't know. Maybe Marshall and the prince are meant to be. He wonders if Bubba can feel it too...

The day Marshall broke up with Bubba was the day he was going to ask him for his hand in marriage. He had a very cheesy speech prepared and a gorgeous golden ring encrusted with pink diamonds. He had an area set up, too, with rose petals of all colours and fairy lights strung around a gazebo. A picnic blanket was lay out and Marshall had used his minimal culinary skills to prepare a fruit salad and cucumber sandwiches. Everything was going to be absolutely perfect.

But then his mind decided to lose itself.

* * *

Prince Gumball lie awake in his bed, one leg sticking out from under his covers in a thinking pose to maintain balance between both his mind and body temperature. He wasn't a jerk to Marshall Lee earlier, was he..?

He did leave him... again..

He sighs and takes the covers off.  
Maybe Marshall Lee _was_ flirting with Fionna earlier, so what?

So _everything_. Marshall Lee was the prince's first and only love. Seeing him with someone else, especially someone he considers a friend, is the equivalent to having his heart torn out of his chest. Maybe he _is_ overreacting, and maybe he _does_ need to stop blaming everything on the vampire, but it kind of is Marshall Lee's fault. _Maybe_ he likes to think that Marshall was the one who walked away even though it was him who walked away because it gives him a better reason to not care, and _maybe_ he's starting to feel a bit bad about doing so.

He still cares about Marshall Lee, he cares a lot. Marshall Lee just doesn't care back, and that's why he's so desperate to feel just as neutral as he does.

Oh, forget it. As of now, every thought that comes to his mind has Marshall Lee involved in it somehow and ends up turning his brain into a rambling pot of fat and nerve soup.  
Maybe that's just the influence the vampire has on people; he gets into their minds and messes everything up, like a parasite of some sort. Love is a parasite. Yes, that sounds reasonable.  
These emotions just better not get in the way of his research. Nothing should distract him from these discoveries. Maybe he's already broken so many laws of nature and physics, but he has such a craving to learn more, to do more, to _be_ more. He just can't do all of these things with thoughts of the vampire's smooth pale skin, luscious black hair, and extremely cute butt infiltrating his mind like soldiers on an important mission.

He gets out of bed and approaches his window, then leans on the windowsill and sighs.

"Oh Marshall Lee.. Why must you cause me so much pain? Your return has driven me absolutely insane.. All of this lovey-dovey junk is making me go mad. I've lost even more sleep, and I'm slowly losing even more sanity. M-maybe I'm inflicting this pain upon myself.. Could that be so..? Oh, what does it matter anyway? It's note like you long for me anymore.. So then why do I long so much for you?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hello my lovely readers! It's very nice to finally have something to say, since I don't think we've gotten to know each other yet. Before I begin, I would like to apologize for my lack of editing (I noticed a mistake in the last chapter whilst re-reading and got very upset with myself; I forgot a word! How could I forget a word!?) and the even greater lack of continuity. I tried patching that up a bit this chapter, but I don't think it worked out as well as I wanted to. I guess for some reason I wanted to make Marshall Lee seem like even more of a bad guy? I dunno.

Okay, ramble time. I _really_ want to address the major Gumlee hint[s] in "Five Short Tables". Maybe I'm overthinking this a bit because I tend to be a bit psychotic when it comes to my fandoms, but this seemed really obvious to me: Gummy's biggest regret has something to do with Marshall Lee, correct? Then his gravestone under his fears said something about him dying alone. I don't know about you, but in my opinion, those are definitely linked somehow. This totally has to indicate some sort of strong relationship between Prince Gumball and Marshall Lee, does it not? My gosh, this is absolutely killing me!

Phew. Glad to get that out. Anyway, I love each and every single one of you to pieces. I'm so glad you all have been enjoying this so far and I hope I won't disappoint! Until next time, my loves.


	6. Chapter 5

**Bones Exposed - Five**

The Swordcery Fair is one of Prince Gumball's favourite events. He absolutely adores the recreation of the medieval times, and watching everyone else enjoy the festivities makes him feel even greater. Everyone looks absolutely adorable in raggedy clothes, metal corsets, and dirty leather boots. The food is fantastic, the jousts are so intriguing to watch, and the games are really fun.

Fionna and Cake go with him every year. They're really fun to hang around, especially now that he's in dire need of a pick-me-up. Marshall Lee's sudden reappearance has done nothing but bad for his emotional and mental health. The vampire king is the only thing on the prince's mind now, and his face- that gorgeous, conniving face- haunts his dreams again. All he can think of are those pearly white teeth, that sexy smirk, his long ebony locks, his honey-like voice, and those muscles...

Oh _Glob_ those muscles.

"Uhhh, PG?" Fionna asks, waving her hand in the gummy man's face. "You alright?"

The prince blinks back into reality. "Huh? Oh, um, yes, Fionna, I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

The girl nods reluctantly and continues following her cat companion towards the pie catapults.

Marshall Lee would like the pie catapults.. He'd love covering innocent bystanders in the cream and laughing at their shocked faces. Then he'd look over at Gumball and stare for a bit before kissing him. Oh how lovely that'd be, their lips together again..

They'd actually done something similar before. Gumball was being taken to meet the vampire's mother. He, of course, was really nervous, so Marshall Lee suggested before they got to the diner, they do _"something fun"_. Now, Gumball wasn't going to say no. Like any other normal being, he liked fun, and he also wanted nothing but to please his lover, so he obviously said "Oh heck yeah, that sounds great.".

Marshall Lee took the pink man's hand and led him somewhere he'd never been before. It was a thriving city, odd for the post-apocalyptic-seeming atmosphere the world had had at the time.

"What is this place, Marshy..?"

"It's a community of sticks," the pale boy said quietly, a small, mischievous grin on his face. "Well, maybe 'community' isn't the best word for them. They all hate each other, a lot. It's really funny."

Gumball didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything.

"Sometimes I come here and pick on them, telling them lies about whatever and throwing things at them and they think it was someone else."

"What!? Why would you do something like that?"

Marshall Lee cackled and pulled his boyfriend closer, then placed a soft kiss on his temple. "Because it's funny, babe. Watch."

Bubba watched as Marshall Lee picked a berry from a nearby bush and flicked it at one of the sticks. The stick angrily turned around and glared at the one behind it.

"Did you just throw a ball at me?"

"What's it to you?"

"You threw a ball at me!"

The sticks then attacked the other, and a circle formed around the fight.

Gumball was very confused at what had just happened, but he smiled at the boy beside him's laughter. He watched Marshall for a bit, admiring his face and the beautiful noise coming from those vocal chords. The vampire's laughter was almost as mellifluous as his singing. Once the fit had stopped, Marshall Lee's eyes were looking into Bubba's. Slowly, he moved in, his eyelids closing. The two kissed, a sweet, gentle kiss. They'd done it many times before, but it still felt so youthful, so firework-y. It felt.. perfect.

Prince Gumball would kill for that feeling again.

It's too bad Marshall Lee isn't interested in him anymore.

* * *

After hours of watching jousts and Victorian plays, smiling at the victims of cream-sault, dancing with maidens, and snacking on bread, fruit, and turkey legs, the festival was over. A sleepy Prince Gumball slumps up the eternal-seeming stairway. Upon entering his room and turning on the lights, he shrieks as he sees someone on his bed. The figure laughs, and the prince places a hand over his rapidly beating heart.

" _Goodness_ , Marshall Lee, you scared the crud out of me! What on _earth_ are you doing in here?"

The vampire casually stretches his arms and floats over to the prince. "Just relaxing." He looks from the pink man's face to his outfit and stifles a laugh. "The hell are you wearing, Bubba?"

"It's a costume. Now kindly get out so I can change."

"Get out? I've seen you _naked_ , Gumbutt, why do I have to get out?"

"Because I don't want you in here; I'm entitled to my privacy. ... And don't call me that."

"What? Gumbutt?"

"Yes, that, don't call me that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's rude."

"But it's true. Your butt is made of gum. I would know."

The prince's cheeks grow red from embarrassment. "Could you _please_ leave, Marshall Lee? I'm tired, and this is not going to be comfortable to sleep in."

Marshall Lee stares at Gumball for a bit, his eyes grazing over every detail they can find, before obliging. In a kind manner, he closes the door on his way out with no other words.

Prince Gumball changes from his oldish attire into a pair of butterscotch-yellow boxer shorts and his favourite t-shirt. He flops down face-first onto his bed and instantly regrets doing so.

That damn vampire.

Now the sheets smell like him. This is going to make the prince have an even harder time falling asleep. He'll be so lonely..

He rolls over and groans. Why must this happen to him? Why must _he_ be the one being put through so much... emotion? His life was so much better being emotionally isolated, not letting anything influence his limbic system's hormone regulation, not letting anyone pull at his heartstrings as if they were those of a guitar. He needs that feeling again, but stronger. But how is he going to achieve such a desolate state once more? He's a _prince_ for Glob's sake; there are so many people he cares about, and so many people who care about him. He'd feel even worse about himself if he wasn't there for those who rely on him. He's already gone through it once. He'd be such a butt to do it another time.

And he can't possibly ignore the beauty that is Marshall Lee.. No matter how cold he'll try to act, the prince's heart won't fail to swell at the sight of the king, and his emotions will most definitely go all over the place when words start escaping those soft, beautiful lips.

Dammit.

Nothing's going to stop him from feeling this way. He's going to be a hot mess for the rest of his miserable life.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys! It's been.. forever. Because I know for a fact I won't be updating around the time it actually happens, happy one year anniversary! Six chapters in one year.. I'm terrible. :P  
I hope you all are enjoying this so far. (:


	7. Chapter 6

**Bones Exposed - Six**

Prince Gumball and Marshall Lee used to own a wooden cabin. It was small, cozy, and located by a lake. When they weren't out exploring, they were cuddled up under blankets, sipping hot cocoa and talking about anything and everything. During the daytime, Gumball would go out and gather fruits and vegetables, and during the nights, Marshall Lee would hunt.

The cabin was a perfect cube, as calculated by the pink man, and each room was around the same size. There was the living area, which contained a velvet love seat, a video game system, a small drawer that held unopened boxes of tissue paper and bottles of sunblock, Marshall Lee's guitar, and a bit of experiment equipment for Bubba. The dining area had a birch table with a lavender-scented candle in the smack middle and coasters and place mats that Marshall Lee almost never used, and two matching chairs. Then there was the kitchen, which was, of course, home to the food and the utensils that were made of either silver or gold. The bathroom had a toilet, sink, and bath-shower combo, as bathrooms do. Lastly, there was the bedroom, which had merely a queen-sized bed with white cashmere blankets and really soft pillows of a matching shade.

Bubba was the only one who knew how to cook. He'd tried teaching Marshall Lee once how to make a typical breakfast, but that ended in disaster.  
It was scrambled eggs, the simplest dish in the entire world, and Marshall Lee still messed up somehow. His attention wasn't on the food like it should have been, and he kept pressing gentle kisses on every exposed area of Gumball's skin. Needless to say, the eggs ended up burnt, and they were stuck eating only strawberry jam on toast for breakfast that day.

Even though he absolutely loathed doing it, Marshall Lee was in charge of cleaning. Not that Bubba would let the place get dirty anyway, but when it did, it was Marshall's duty to change that. He'd tie his hair back with a rubber band and scrub the floors on his hands and knees, all to please his darling boyfriend.

The cabin was their safe space. They didn't have to worry about anything but themselves. The vampire would sing as loud as he wanted to without anyone telling him to quiet down. The gum man could concoct anything he so desired without having to hear any nagging about how peculiar it is (well, minus the occasional "Dude, that reeks! What the hell is that?" from Marshall Lee). They could kiss the other as often as they wanted to without being told to get a room, and they most definitely took complete advantage of that.

There are many stories held within those walls that may or may not even be there anymore. The walls may be figurative at this point, but the stories are still there.

Like the time an intoxicated Marshall Lee made Gumball sing a duet with him. The day's domestic tasks had been completed early and they were sat on the love seat, Bubba sipping a virgin strawberry daiquiri, and Marshall halfway done with a bottle of dark lager. The vampire told his boyfriend that he wanted to hear his singing voice. Bubba blushed out of embarrassment because he hated his voice, which was drastically inferior to Marshall Lee's, but he complied. He began singing a song Marshall wrote about their relationship, and Marshall Lee joined in when it hit the chorus. How well they harmonized shocked the gummy man.  
After the song ended, they kissed. It was sweet, yet not very gentle. Marshall Lee then went on to praise Gumball's voice, but the latter didn't believe him.

Many beautiful moments happened in the cabin, many pictures created in the minds of the two. But along with the good, there was the bad. There's _always_ the bad.

They had their first fight in that cabin. It wasn't exactly pretty.

Marshall Lee had wanted to go to some concert in support of a local band, which would have been perfectly fine any other day, but the night of the performance just so happened to fall on their one year anniversary. Gumball had a very romantic meal planned, and he most definitely did _not_ want anything spoiling it.  
So of course when the vampire asked if Gumball was interested in joining him, he got a "No. I'm not going, and neither are you." in response.

" _Excuse_ me?"

"I said we're not going."

Marshall Lee's eyebrows made their way into his hair. "Who the hell said _you_ can dictate what _I_ can and can't do? Maybe _you_ don't want to go, but _I_ do, so I'm going to go. You can stay here and read or blow some shit up or whatever."

" _No_ , you're _not_ go-"

"What did I literally _just_ say, Bubba? You're not in charge of me just because we're dating now. I'm not going to force you to go to the concert with me, so you shouldn't try and force me to stay home with you just because you don't feel like going."

"It's not that I don't feel like going, Marshall Lee, and you'd figure that if you'd just _shut the hell up and listen to me_!"

Something shifted in the vampire's eyes, and they glowed a deep shade of maroon. Slowly, he approached the pink man who was tardily backing into the wall. Once Marshall Lee stopped in front of his boyfriend, he briefly stared into his fearful eyes before raising his fist and punching the wall next to Bubba's face. The gummy man slid down the wall a bit, bravely holding Marshall Lee's gaze.

"I'm listening."

"I-I don't want to go, or for you to go, because I want you to myself that night. Yes, it sounds selfish, but.. I already have plans that night. Plans for _us_. Think about it, Marshy.."

After a few silent moments of staring at his lover's distressed expression, the raven head's eyes widened and faded back to their original onyx. A small amount of tears began to form. His fist lowered, and a soft "Bubba..." escaped his lips. "I... I can't believe I forgot our anniversary.. I'm so sorry.."

Gumball gently pulled the pale man into a hug. "It's perfectly okay, Marshall Lee. I'm not mad."

"Are.. Are you sure..?"

He nodded. "Positive. You forgetting is understandable; it's only been a year. It isn't like you forgot our twenty year anniversary or something. Plus I don't think I could ever get mad at you."


	8. Chapter 7

**Bones Exposed - Seven**

"Down there, Mo-Chro." Gumball says, pointing towards a small clearing deep in the woods.

Lord Monochromicorn obediently flies down to it and elegantly lands on his feet. The gummy man gets off the unicorn, his brain failing to properly function as he looks at the sight before him.

The cabin is still there, though it definitely isn't even remotely in great condition. There are moss and weeds growing everywhere. Large chunks of the walls are missing. The windows are broken and stained with years of whatever the weather's thrown at them and maybe some other things.

"Stay here," he mumbles. "and be on guard."

The unicorn nods, and Gumball slowly approaches the worn-down structure. He runs his fingers across an area of wood that's still clean and somewhat intact.

He remembers building this place, and the worry he'd felt at how enthusiastic Marshall Lee was about chopping down trees briefly floods back into them. A small smile graces his lips at the memory of telling the vampire to watch where he's swinging so that he doesn't hurt one or both of them.

As he lightly tugs on the handle of the door, the entire thing pops off. He looks over his shoulder to Lord Monochromicorn before setting the rickety plank on the ground and cautiously stepping into the building. Vines hang from the walls, and there are some small insect-like creatures having a picnic of bread, fruit, and moss in one corner. The prince smiles at them politely before going in further.

It's really dirty and smells old, which he doesn't like in the slightest, but he makes himself continue. Good and bad things come to his mind. Making love against the now absent refrigerator. Arguing about their schedules before the vampire stormed out into broad sunlight. Profuse apologies and soft kisses to one another as Gumball rubbed Aloe Vera over the vampire's healing skin. Marshall Lee slamming his fists onto the table so hard that it split in half.

Perhaps he should leave now. He really should.

He doesn't, however. Instead, he ventures towards the restroom, where he finds a squirrel bathing in the toilet. After quickly apologizing to her and closing the door, he makes the decision to leave. But there's one last room, one last very important room to check out before he can do so.

Forcing himself to keep a steady pace, the prince approaches the bedroom. The door is wide open, and he can hear a very soft snoring coming from the room. He peeks his head inside to find an orange fox curled up on a blanket on the ground. Gumball decides to leave it alone. As he's making his way out of the cabin, he smiles to himself at how the creatures of the forests are using it to their benefits; it's nice that even though the building is old and run-down, it still has a purpose.

Once he's exited the wooden cube, he turns and stares at it again. For a brief moment, he sees him and Marshall sitting on the roof in the moonlight, the vampire's legs carelessly dangling off the edge. They had just finished making sure the cabin was strong enough to hold up for a long period time, and Marshall Lee had decided to celebrate their huge accomplishment of successful construction by having a drink on the roof (Gumball was too tired to argue with him). It certainly wasn't the smartest or most mature thing to do, but thankfully neither of them got hurt. They'd sat still, for the most part, and admired the stars, only moderately sipping from their beverages. It was a quiet and relaxing bonding moment between them.

The memory makes Gumball's eyes water, though he isn't entirely sure why. He wonders what life would be like if he and Marshall Lee were to have never split up. The thought is out of his head quicker than it entered. He swiftly turns around to face the unicorn that is carefully observing him.

"Well, this has certainly has been a nice trip, but we should get going now. It's almost time for dinner, and you and Cake have a date tonight, yes?"

* * *

A few hours later, the prince is stuck entertaining Fionna. He doesn't mind, of course, it's just that she doesn't seem to be as interested in what he's saying as usual. It's slightly offensive; there is absolutely nothing boring whatsoever about the atomic spectra.

"Hey, Prince Gumball?" she says just as he gets into the good part about quantum theory.

He looks up at her from the notes on his desk. "Yes, Fionna?"

"How did you meet Marshall Lee? And how come you've never talked about him before?"

A large lump forms in the pink man's throat. Of course poor, innocent Fionna would fall into the vampire's trap. "Why do you want to know..?"

Fionna glances down at the floor, and a small tinge of pink appears on her cheeks. "Oh. Um.. I'm just curious.."

Though he knows it'll make him seem like a maniac, Prince Gumball slams his hands down onto the counter top, Fionna quickly looking back up at him with wide eyes.

"Fionna, listen to me. You do not want _anything_ to do with that lowlife, do you understand? He's lazy, rude, inconsiderate, and will do _nothing_ but make your life miserable. A kindhearted person like yourself should _not_ be hanging out with that delinquent."

The human is quiet for a moment. "I guess you two don't have the best of relationships."

The prince scoffs, "Don't have the best of relationships? He single-handedly _ruined my life_. Of _course_ we don't have the best of relationships."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same Marshall Lee? Sure, he's sassy and bad and all that jazz, but he's not a terrible person. He's kind, funny, and just really good company."

"Yes, he _seems_ that way at first, but then once he gets a hold on your heart, he rips it straight out of your chest. I'm telling you, he's bad news, and you shouldn't associate yourself with him."

Then Fionna does the unthinkable - she laughs at him. "Dude. You're delusional. You should get some rest. Cake should be back by now, I'll go meet her in the corridor."

And with that, she leaves. Prince Gumball crosses his arms over his chest and huffs. There goes yet another of Gumball's defensive towers Marshall Lee has knocked down since his arrival.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I think I've only uploaded legit one chapter this year? I am so sorry, oh my gosh. School, and just life in general, has been such a pain. I'm really busy with assignments, but I do have some motivation now, so hopefully I won't take several months to post the next chapter. No promises, though. I really am sorry I took so long. Let me know what you think of this chapter. I love all of you. xx


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